Tucson Audubon’s new Coordinator of the Paton Hummingbird Center, Tina Hall, began work on July 9, 2018. She replaced Jonathan Lutz who moved up in the organization to Executive Director. Hall came to the job after 29 years working for the Nature Conservancy in California, West Virginia, and most recently, Michigan. She has a PhD in Environmental Studies from the University of Maryland. Not surprisingly, she is an avid and knowledgeable birder.
It may seem like a long way from Michigan to southeast Arizona, but for Hall maybe not so far. Her parents lived in Oro Valley for several years and she knew Lutz from his tenure as Director of the Michigan Audubon Chapter. As a birder, she had been to southeast Arizona a number of times and knew Patagonia, the Paton Center, and Wally and Marion Paton. Her first visit to Paton’s was in 1991. Hall recalls a conversation with Wally Paton about the hours they opened their home to birders. He said in a deadpan voice, “well…the hummingbirds do sleep at night.”
Hall says she likes Patagonia “because it feels and looks like a real town; it’s a very interesting and maybe a bit quirky community.” She is surprised how little the town seems to have changed since her first visit 27 years ago. However, she sees Patagonia on the cusp of some bigger changes due to a combination of climate change, economic changes, and the impacts of the return of mining on the town’s housing, water, roads and local ecosystem. “Even as a newcomer, I am already feeling a little nostalgic about what we have and what might change,” she said.
Things will be changing at the Paton Hummingbird Center, too. Tucson Audubon has raised over $370,000 toward its $450,000 capital campaign goal for the Paton Center. A bulk of those funds will go toward the replacement of the Paton’s house. Because it has asbestos, as most homes of its era do, it is more cost effective to replace the house than rehab it. Hall says plans are not complete, but she hopes the 1.4-acre site, including a new house, will remain the homelike setting and quiet welcoming place to see hummingbirds that is Wally and Marion Paton’s legacy. Tucson Audubon will seek local comments on options, perhaps at the library, before settling on the final plans for the site. Demolition should begin sometime in 2019.
Hall is excited about her new job. One of her favorite parts is working with an incredible group of volunteers. “It’s hard to decide which day to take off every week because whichever one I choose means that I will miss working with the regularly scheduled volunteers on that day,” she said. There is something quite special about the place, something Hall calls the “Paton effect,” which makes visitors feel more comfortable and more interested in connecting with not only the wildlife but with each other. She is committed to maintaining that environment as the Paton Center evolves.
As for other goals, Hall is interested in creating more activities and events for local Patagonians, like dinner at Paton’s, a series of walks and talks aimed at locals, and more opportunities to draw local volunteers. She also wants to expand the connections between art and nature at the Paton Center with more art installations and maybe a space for artists in residence.
Finally, Hall feels responsible for maintaining high standards at the Paton Hummingbird Center. That means maintaining the health of the hummingbirds, honoring the legacy of the Patons, and playing a significant role in supporting the growth of ecotourism in our community.
For the time being, Tina Hall and her husband, Bruce Ventura, are living in the small casita on the property. Stop by and say ‘hello.’ You will enjoy the birds and the conversation.